Jihadis' Next Online Buddy Could Be a Soldier

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Jihadis' Next Online Buddy Could Be a Soldier

What's good for sex offenders is now good for terrorists.

Responding to jihadists' move into social networking, U.S. Central Command is setting up cyber-stings, masking its soldiers' IP addresses and creating deceptive online profiles in the hope of luring out the next Irhabi 007. It's using anonymity software purchased commercially from a California-based security firm, Ntrepid, to disguise its new online activity. Never mind Googling a couple of Senators. This is an information operation.

As any Facebook user knows, creating fake profiles is a no-no. Any information operations officer is supposed to know that operations can't target Americans. But the whole point of the operation is to get into virtual spaces where people of different nationalities intermingle.

Central Command says it's resolving the issue by staying away from social media owned by U.S. companies, so no Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Reddit, etc. And Speaks swears to Webster that the command's "open" social-media communications don't use the same anonymity software.

But there's simply no way of assuring that an American won't get caught in Central Command's online monitorings. What are their soldiers supposed to do, vet their terrorist friend requests for American citizenship?

Rand's Isaac Porsche tells Waterman that frontline information operators have complaints there that there's too many hoops they have to jump through" already. But this isn't just a bureaucratic hurdle, it's the law.

It's not clear what the end result of the hidden Friending is supposed to be. A disinformation campaign for online terrorist wannabes? A precursor to targeting a potential terrorist for a violent demise? Sowing doubt within jihadist circles that their social-media fellowship can't be trusted? Winning the hashtag?